I went and saw the new "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" movie with Mike and Pratima this evening. It was crazy-crowded (Silicon Valley is nerd-central, after all). Pratima bought the tickets online (sparing us from one line), but there was still a crazy-long line to get into the theatre. We got there over a half hour before show time, and the line stretched around the building.
Even though the line was terribly long, we still got pretty decent seats. The movie itself was only okay -- it didn't knock my socks off, but it didn't bore me to tears either. I think that I was expecting it to be funnier. There were quite a few funny parts, but I felt like there was more too it than what I saw. I guess I should read the book if I want the full scoop...
-Andy.
You haven't read the books? And they let you into Case anyway?? I'm stunned! ;-)
These were my absolute favorite books growing up. There was a time in my life that I could pretty much recite them verbatim. So, coming from the perspective of a long-time hard-core fan, I can thankfully say that, unlike Phantom Menace, no one "r-ped my childhood" (thank you, comment filter) this time around. There were some bits of the film that I thought were absolutely brilliant -- the way the Heart of Gold is transformed into random objects as the Infinite Improbability Drive is engaged and the arrival at the Magrathean factory floor utterly delighted me. For the most part, the film looks the way I would have wanted it to look.
However, I couldn't help being immensely disappointed every time a classic bit of dialogue was butchered to the point of no longer being funny. I couldn't keep track of the number of jokes which were so trimmed down that the only part left was the setup. With just a scant few minutes of extra footage, much of Adams' wit could have been restored. Also, the newer material, where the movie completely diverges from the books, felt really awkward.
I was pleased by a number of the little things -- the original Marvin costume appears in line on planet Vogsphere, the original Arthur Dent actor plays the Magrathean answering machine, and Douglas Adams' head is the last thing that the Heart of Gold transforms into before the credits roll. I was especially impressed with the casting of The Book, Slartibartfast, and Eddie the Shipboard Computer, who were spot-on perfect in their performances.
Hitchhiker's completist that I am, I will probably have to buy the inevitable DVD release. (Here's hoping for a slightly longer/better cut...)